There are foods I love that I simply don’t think are worth the effort. It’s not about taste — I enjoy them — it’s the time and work relative to the payoff. Too much effort for too little reward.
Take chicken wings: hours of picking, peeling and dealing with sticky fingers, and you end up with a few bites of meat and some crispy skin. Delicious, yes — but messy and fussy. Or young coconuts: I want the water and the meat, but I don’t want to risk hacking my hand off with a machete. Even artichokes can feel like more work than they’re worth on certain days.
And now for one that will earn me some side-eye: crab legs. They’re magnificent and perfect for a seafood feast, but given the choice I’d far prefer someone crack the shells for me and place a cup of fresh meat next to a bowl of clarified butter and an ice-cold glass of pinot grigio.
Recently, trying to recreate Chipotle-style burrito bowls at home climbed to the top of that list. I attempted it once and it was overwhelming: black beans, bacon-pinto beans from scratch, long-grain brown rice, chicken, guacamole, multiple salsas, maybe carnitas — it was simply too much. Two hours in the kitchen for a weeknight dinner feels excessive unless the reward is serious — think filet, lobster, roast chicken and twice-baked potatoes. Not one or the other, but the whole indulgence.
I’m not giving up the bowl I love from Chipotle — the way flavors and textures combine into something you can scoop up with a crispy chip is what makes it special. I used to be strictly a burrito person; I couldn’t imagine a bowl. But somewhere along the way I switched to bowls and never looked back. The chips became my utensil of choice.
The one thing that stuck from my at-home bowl experiment was the corn salsa. Guacamole is already a staple in my life, and the other components we can assemble during the week, but that corn salsa — that’s become indispensable. For weeks I’ve been making a batch on Sundays and adding it to everything: potatoes, sandwiches, eggs, and even spooned over a burger.
It’s my favorite topping at Chipotle and I’m always surprised at how a few simple ingredients elevate a bowl. The beauty of this salsa is how customizable it is: add more heat, less lime, or leave out cilantro if that’s your preference. After many tests, this version is my ideal. It’s even better with grilled corn when summer arrives, but frozen defrosted corn works great year-round when fresh isn’t available.
Just Like Chipotle’s Corn Salsa
1
makes a big bowl
Ingredients
-
1 12-
ounce
bag of frozen sweet yellow corn,
defrosted and drained -
2
medium jalapeños,
seeded and chopped (leave in some seeds for more heat) -
1/2
red onion,
finely chopped (about 1/3 cup) -
3/4
cup
fresh cilantro,
torn or chopped -
juice of 2
limes -
1/2
teaspoon
salt -
1/2
teaspoon
black pepper
Instructions
-
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Taste and adjust salt, pepper, cilantro, jalapeño or lime to your preference.
-
Note: fresh corn is ideal when available, but frozen defrosted corn is a great year-round substitute.
Side Dish
American
Did you make this recipe?
Please share your photo and tag it appropriately if you’d like — it’s always great to see how people use this salsa. I appreciate you so much!
Now someone give me a chip.